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Letter: Let’s not forget the one person in Congress who could’ve derailed Trump

In this image from video, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., speaks after the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Trump was accused of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the acquittal gives him a historic second victory in the court of impeachment. (Senate Television via AP)

In this image from video, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., speaks after the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Trump was accused of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and the acquittal gives him a historic second victory in the court of impeachment. (Senate Television via AP)

As long as we are playing the “blame game” in our scrutiny of the Trump presidency, perhaps we might also think about how this debacle in our country might have been avoided entirely.

The destruction of our democracy by the Trump administration, and the blatant corruption accompanying it, could have been circumvented had one man had the political courage to do the right thing when the opportunity presented itself.

Mitch McConnell, Senate majority leader during the first impeachment trial, and minority leader during the second, could have ensured that Donald Trump would never be in a position to be a dictator for “one day,” let alone the despotic architect of the systematic destruction of our democracy, our economy, the Constitution and the rule of law.

Yes, you can blame Donald Trump for all of that and more, but there is plenty of blame to go around. Thanks Mitch.

Franklin L. Slaugh, West Valley City

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